Browsing by Author "Kanerva, Laura"

The purpose of this research was to find out the views of preschool and primary school teachers about inclusive education as part of pre-primary and primary education. The topic of the thesis is very current since, nowadays, it is increasingly considered important that all children have a right to nearby daycare or a nearby school. The purpose of the research was to answer the following questions: How do preschool and primary school teachers define inclusion in pre- and primary education? How do preschool and primary school teachers contribute to inclusive education in their work, and how do teachers develop inclusive pre-primary and primary education? This is a qualitative case study with semi-structured interviews (also called theme interviews) chosen as the research method. These interviews were conducted as group inter-views. The first group consisted of three preschool teachers; the second group included a preschool and a primary school teacher, who were not tied in any specific school class; and the third group consisted of three primary school teachers of inclusive preparatory teaching. I used the content analysis method to analyze the contents of the research. According to my research, the preschool and primary school teachers reacted positively to inclusion. They considered it important and taken for granted as part of their work. Teachers promoted inclusive education mainly by taking into account the uniqueness of each child and utilizing it versatile in their work habits. The preschool and primary school teachers felt that inclusion, however, meant employing more teachers; instead, they preferred to develop their work inclusively by adding resources and promoting cooperation with parents.